Do we treat our martyrs right?

Tuesday's funeral of the Indian victims of the attack on India's Kabul mission was marked by pathos.

Their funerals were also marked by official indifference, evidenced by an absence of senior ministerial presence.

Monday's attack, in which four Indians were killed is the worst terrorist attack on India outside India.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was in the national capital jousting with the Left parties over the nuclear deal, was not present at the funeral of Counsellor V Venkateswara Rao, a senior IFS officer.

Indo Tibetan Border Police constables Roop Singh and Ajai Rathore didn't fare any better. There was no top-level presence from the home ministry at their funeral either.

Which begets the question: Does the ruling class treat our martyrs right? Or even worse, do we as a nation care at all for people like Brigadier Mehta and Rao, who have made the highest sacrifice in the nation's service?